Of the 229 who responded, 60% said they liked a shift lever in the console, and another 15% said they preferred a traditional shift lever on the steering column.

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But there's no hand brake lever or shift lever in the console.

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The Fusion driver changes gears using a conventional, console-mounted shift lever.

WSJ: Changing Gears: Auto Makers Ditch Familiar Shift Levers

Push the backlit engine-start button and the dashboard air vents automatically rotate open while the rotary shift knob rises up from the center console.

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The transmission was excellent in automatic mode, and manual shift is still accessible by pulling the center console-mounted gear selector to the left.

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To be replaced by an all-new model next spring as an early 2014 entry, the current-generation Impala has the distinction of being the last six-passenger car sold in the U.S. Pickup trucks and a few SUVs still come with front benches, but sedans and coupes have long abandoned them in favor of front buckets, which afford a center console between the seats to house the shift lever, switches and storage.

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Of the three console makers ( Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony), only two will survive this console generation and still they will be forced to make a strategic shift away from gaming to become an entertainment hub in the home.

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